While walking through the corporate cube farm today, I got a random text message from my local Yamaha dealer. They’re presently stocking parts and booking appointments to perform warranty work for the recent Yamaha CP2 clutch recall.

From what I gather, Yamaha has decided to replace clutch steel and friction clutch discs for various 2023-2024 MT-07s, XSR700s, and T7s due to clutch dragging and unintentional motion. Ironically, this hasn’t made much news domestically but has apparently been going on in Europe for a bit now. (Edit: You can read the official recall notice at the bottom of this post.)

With almost 7,000 miles on my 2023 Tenere, I’m not upset about putting a new clutch in it. I’ll also confirm that I’ve noticed the clutch dragging while in neutral and squealing a bit when cold for the last few riding months. That said, the way recalls are handled in this country is particularly irritating, especially in the motorcycle realm.

In a previous life, I was the unfortunate owner of a 2007 Chevy Cobalt. On the front end of “The Great Financial Crisis”, the Cobalt was undoubtedly less than General Motors’ “best work”. Early on, the electric power steering motor would randomly go out for no apparent reason. You could get the power steering back by turning the car off and then back on again. You would never know when it would quit again, which unfortunately might be mid-turn from time to time. This happened about 6 months before an official recall came down the pipe. Like most of us, we were broke back then, so my wife drove the car until the recall could cover the $400 repair. This was the beginning of the key tumbler debacle among other recalls. In the interest of “safety”, I get it.

Manufacturers taking responsibility for their mistakes is a good thing. They should do the right thing on the front end, but “apologizing” by fixing my vehicle for free is appreciated. That said, there’s something else about how recalls are handled domestically we need to discuss; time costs money.

In certain automotive realms, if suppliers fail to deliver key components on time and in spec, the supplier is “fined” for downtime from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM). I’m not defending this practice, but I realize that Yamaha loses money when their machines aren’t running and bikes aren’t leaving the shipping department; unquestionably the case for Ford or Toyota. The consumer’s time also has value. I purchased a vehicle, assuming it was built with quality components; probably akin to quality components I had on my previous vehicle from the same brand. In the event I need to take my vehicle in for a recall, that costs me time; worse if I’m forced to take time off work because their dealers have unreasonable service hours. Automotive dealers often have “courtesy shuttles” that will take you to work and pick you up when your car is completed. Higher-end dealers might even put you on a “test drive” to prevent the lack of transportation inconvenience; that even opens the door to future purchases. While I have no first-hand knowledge, many have suggested that BMW’s demo bike practices during recalls have actually helped with sales. Unfortunately, I will not be afforded such opportunity.

I want to be clear, I am very satisfied with my local dealers, and I don’t hold them responsible for this situation. The OEMs have made these mistakes and are “trying to make it right”; the dealers don’t want to be in this situation either. However, there’s no doubt the OEMs are trying to avoid spending one penny more than necessary to put the lid back on this bottle (we’re looking at you KTM). Owners that have to deal with a motorcycle recall are likely stuck taking their bike to a dealer, grabbing a ride or dragging an empty trailer back home; only to repeat the process in reverse a few days later.

Fortunately, my local dealer is going to handle this situation while I wait, but it doesn’t change the fact that an OEM owes their customers a better apology. As with my comments elsewhere about test rides, motorcycle OEMs should be helping dealers get sufficient insurance and affordable demo fleets to maximize the customer experience. Mom-and-pop shops are the most customer-focused businesses in America; there’s simply no way they can afford these amenities in today’s lawsuit-happy climate, but it’s what customers deserve when OEMs are wasting their time due to their own mistakes. There’s no reason OEMs shouldn’t be turning this apologetic experience into a potential sale.

Decades ago, we would have been comparing American and foreign manufacturers by the clear difference in vehicle recalls. Unfortunately, this problem has surpassed systemic, to the point where we consumers have rolled over and tolerated it. It’s really sad; it’s now so common we’ve run out of alternate brands to switch to. I wish I knew the answer here, but the reality is that we’re probably letting OEMs appease shareholders at the expense of the customer’s happiness, or worse, safety.

I’d love to hear about your experience with motorcycle recalls in the comments.